IBC and RNC: Newfoundland and Labrador has most uninsured driver claims per capita among provinces
The Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC) and Royal Newfoundland Constabulatory (RNC) have both been able to confirm that Newfoundland and Labrador has the highest amount of uninsured driver claims per capita among the 10 Canadian provinces.
In 2016 alone, the RNC provincial police force caught 743 drivers who didn't have vehicle insurance. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police reportedly ticketed an additional 296.
What's especially problematic about these types of occurences is how they impact insured drivers. Because of a provincial vehicle insurance law called Section D, in the event of an accident between an insured and uninsured driver, the insured driver's policy will have to cover the costs of the damage—even if it was in no way his or her fault.
In a relatively small province like Newfoundland and Labrador, the actions of uninsured drivers and the implications of Section D can put a strain on everyone. According to IBC data, the total value of vehicle insurance claims filed in 2015 was over $266, which was uncharacteristically high for the province's population.
"That is concerning because what it tells us it there's a higher number of uninsured drivers creating claims, whether it's injuring other people, or running into a car and causing damage to that car, or even running into a home and causing damage," said IBC Atlantic vice-president Amanda Dean.
Truly addressing the problem will require some new strategies on the part of the province. One idea that has been discussed publicly by Perry Trimper, minister of insurance legislator Service N.L., is to have license plates assigned to vehicle owners, rather than vehicles, which would allow the Motor Registration Division and RNC to do a better job of tracking uninsured drivers.